The Unforgivable Task
by XJStephanie
Summary: Caroline Hale is on a mission and nothing can detour her from fulfilling her promise, no matter how dangerous things become. But she finds herself in a heap of trouble, only to be saved by Connor. Caroline learns that she and Connor have the same destination in mind, but for completely different reasons. Connor finds out that Caroline's past is not much unlike his own.
1. Chapter 1

'_I'm never going to make it'_ Caroline thought as she ran down the alleyway, her footsteps echoing off the stone walls around her.

Turning sharply around a corner, she ran towards the edge of town, her goal was to get to the shore and hide in the reeds until the soldiers passed her, but the soldiers, from the fort she just escaped from, were gaining on her. She could hear them yelling at her.

"You'll never get away" one of them said.

Her lungs were burning as she ran through the busy streets of Boston. Weaving in and out of the crowds, she took a second to look behind her; she didn't see the soldiers anymore. Caroline slowed to a walk as she blended into a group of people as they made their way down the street. She drew a deep breath, trying to ease her burning lungs. After all, she did just run about a mile being chased by soldiers, not to mention the stays she wore under her dress restricted her lungs from taking in a full breath of air.

She glances behind her one more time double checking no one was following her. She darted behind a building and made her way to the shore. Walking along the shore, she finally had an opportunity to look at the letter she stole from the Southgate Fort.

Just as she was unfolding the letter someone grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. As she was spun around she saw the three soldiers that were chasing her.

"Thought you could slip past us?" The soldier that held her growled.

She gasped and hid the letter behind her, tucking it into her dress pocket. "Release me!" Caroline yelled and struggled to get away, but the soldier only gripped tighter. "Release me this instant!"

"Oh no you're coming with us. We have orders." The soldier that was gripping her shoulders, spun her back around and tied her hands together, shoving her forward, the soldier called out to the others to follow them.

Caroline started walking in the direction she was pushed. The ground was uneven and rocky; with the solider pushing her Caroline tripped and fell more than once. Caroline kept looking round for a chance to escape, but no such chance arrived. Following the shoreline the soldiers kept shoving Caroline further away from the crowded streets.

"Where are you taking me?" Caroline asked over her shoulder after they have been walking for a few minutes.

"Just a little ways further" the soldier responded with a sinister grin.

He guided her to the back side of a deserted barn. She looked back at the busy streets over a half mile away. No one will hear her if she screamed for help. There was no way she could outrun the soldiers even on smooth terrain she didn't have a chance.

The soldier took out, what looked to be a scarf from his pocket and began to put it around Caroline's eyes.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she tried to duck away. "Aren't you taking me back to the fort, to have me stand trial for trespassing?"

"No, we're not. Our captain gave us orders to silence you." One of them replied, making motions with his finger across his throat. The soldier holding the scarf added. "We'll make it quick, you won't suffer. Much"

Her eyes went wide with horror. Her heart was racing as she looked around for somebody to help her. But there was no one. She was alone. She was going to die alone.

Caroline felt panic rising up in her as the soldier attempted to wrap the blindfold across her eyes again and Caroline ducked away. The soldier brought his hand swiftly across her face, nearly making her fall to the ground. Caroline regained her balance, looked him straight in the eyes and spat in the soldiers face.

"Come here and hold her still!" He yelled to the other two soldiers as he wiped the spit from his face.

The soldiers came up and held her immobile as he wrapped the scarf around her head, blocking out her sight. She felt bile rise in her throat as the soldier tied a knot at the back of her head. She thought about making a run for it. But with her hands tied behind her back and blindfolded, she wouldn't make it very far before the soldiers would catch her again.

'_So this is how it's was going to end._' Caroline thought. '_Just twenty-two years of life, that's it'_.

This would be the last day she would ever have. She was thankful her mother wasn't alive to see this. Blindfolded and up against a wall about to be executed.

"You have been found guilty of trespassing into a military fort. With the intent of spying" she heard a gruff voice say.

'_Ha, found guilty' _she thought_. 'There was no trial, even if there was I would still be found guilty.'_ Caroline did was she was being accused of. But what she did wasn't deserving of death_. 'The letter must be more valuable than I first realized if the captain thought I should be killed for having stolen it'_.

"You are hereby sentences to death by firing squad, may God have mercy on your soul."

That snapped Caroline's thoughts back to the present. She drew a deep breath, trying to prevent herself from falling to her knees and begging for her life. She may be young and scared, but she wouldn't give the soldiers the satisfaction of her begging.

She held her head up and concentrated on her breathing, which was hard to do knowing that there were three men with their muskets aimed at her, ready to end her life.

"On my signal men, ready, aim..."

"_Mother, I have failed you,"_ she said silently, feeling a wave of sorrow wash over her she bowed her head in defeat.

She waited for the sound of the guns firing, for the bullets to rip apart her chest and end her life. But there was no sound but the frantic beating of her heart. Then she heard something heavy land in front of her. Confused at what was happening, she backed further up against the barn wall.

"What the h…?" She heard the solider yell out before a gun fired right next to her.

At the sound of the gunshot Caroline's life flashed before her eyes. She felt her heart break as she recalled the promise she made her mother that she would no longer be able to fulfill.

Her ears ringing, from the gun shot, not able to hear anything she dropped to her knees. Her breathing was ragged as she waited for the pain, waited for death to overtake her. But it never came. She lifted her head up, her breathing was shallow. The ringing in her ears started to subside.

"How am I not dead?" She whispered struggling to get to her feet when suddenly two strong hands pulled her up away from the wall and removed her blindfold. She fought against the hold on her, but the hands didn't let go. When she looked at the man holding her she had to crane her neck back to try to see his face. He was much taller than she was almost by a foot. He was wearing a white hood; she could barely see his face from under it. Caroline realized it wasn't a soldier that held her and she stopped fighting against him. He turned her around and untied her hands, she looked about her and saw the soldiers that just minutes ago taking aim to execute her, were now lying dead on the ground in puddles of blood. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the bodies. She rubbed her wrists to try and relieve the pain where the rope cut into her flesh. She looked back at the man in front of her.

"You saved my life." She said in a shaky voice, looking up into his eyes. So much was going through her mind at that moment, she didn't know if she should run from this man or not. No more than five minutes ago she was saying goodbye to the world, taking her last breath, only to be saved by a complete stranger a stranger, who killed three soldiers in just seconds.


	2. Chapter 2

Caroline stood there rooted to the spot, staring at the man who had just saved her life. She watched as he bent over the soldiers lifeless bodies, looking through their pockets, looting what few coins they had on them. He stood up; turning towards Caroline reaching over his shoulder, repositioning the quiver and bow he wore on his back.

Caroline took a closer look at the stranger before her. She had never seen a man quite like him before. He still wore the white hood over his head, which hid most of his face from her. His clothing, which looked worn and threadbare from years of wear, looked similar to what most soldiers wore, an army coat and pants. Except, of the usual brown or blue usually worn by the militia, his coat was white and blue. He wore delicately woven armbands over his coat on his biceps. He had a leather bracer on his left forearm, which had an odd symbol on it. Caroline couldn't help but think she has seen it somewhere before. The symbol looked like a triangle, but instead of a complete straight line across the bottom the two edges were slightly rounded with pointed tips. He had with him two pistols and a tomahawk strapped to his side. The leather strap that went across his chest held his quiver and bow in place. Instead of boots he wore moccasins with leather leggings over his pants. He was standing in front of her only a few feet away. He had his head tilted to the side, watching her. He took out his pistol and started to reload it.

"We must leave here, now." He announced in a deep voice as he put his pistol back in his holster. The man motioned for her to follow and he started towards the busy streets of Boston.

Caroline stood there for a moment, watching the stranger make his way towards the town. She was still trying to process all that had happened. She looked at the bodies on the ground. She knew she should get as far away from there as possible because someone was bound to notice them.

"Wait!" Caroline called out and she ran to follow him. He stopped a few yards ahead of her.

"Why should I follow you?" She asked in a stubborn tone "You may have just saved my life, but I'm not about to follow you. I don't know who you are or even why you saved me." She eyed him apprehensively as she walked towards him. She walked up to him, close enough to see under the hood he wore, she could see his skin was many shades darker than her own, and his eyes were the same dark brown.

"You have a letter in your possession that holds exceptionally important information." He replied to her.

Caroline's eyes widened with shock. "What are you talking about? What letter?" She asked him trying to keep her voice steady and innocent. She saw a smile flash across his face just for a second, and it was gone.

"The letter you've hidden in your dress. I know where you stole it from. Though I don't know why." He admitted. His brown eyes narrowing as he looked at her.

Caroline mouth fell open. "How do you know where I found the letter?" She asked him. "Were you following me?"

She felt her anger begin to rise in her. She put her hand on her hip and jabbed a finger to his chest with her other.

"What I did, is none of your business! You had no right following me!" She shouted at him.

He looked down at her finger pointed at his chest, with a slight grin on his face; he pushes her hand away and replied.

"Yes, I did follow you. I followed you from the Southgate Fort because the letter you have is important and I will tell you why if you must know, but now we need to leave because dead bodies always draw unwanted attention." He nodded his head in the direction of the dead soldiers.

"Fine." She muttered after a lengthy pause, thinking over her options. "But I want answers." She motioned to the busy streets of Boston. "Lead the way".

They walked towards the bustling town in silence. Just the noise from her footsteps could be heard. Caroline eyed the stranger walking in front of her. Her mind was full of questions that she wanted to ask. She wasn't quite sure that she should follow him; she wanted to know why he wanted the letter. What important information could it hold? As far as she could tell it was just a list of names. It was only important to her because, among the list of names was her fathers.

Caroline followed the stranger throughout the town, weaving through the crowds of people who were making their way to buy or sale their goods. The man was able to make his way through the busy streets with great speed, without disturbing the people walking all around him. Caroline found herself constantly colliding into people as she tried to keep up with the man. She almost lost him in the crowds a few times only to find him leaning against a building a little way head, waiting for her.

"You could slow down your pace a bit." She suggested as she walked up to him, out of breath from the fast pace she had to keep while following him.

"Sorry I'm not used to having company, I will slow down." He replied, never taking his eyes off the people passing by.

"What are you looking for?" She asked, looking in the same direction.

"You never know who could be following us." He explained as he looked back at her. "Come on, we're almost there" they walked down a street lined with people selling all kinds of bread, meat and cloth. They stopped in front of a general store that was on the corner of the street. "I have some business to take care of, stay outside. I won't be long." He told her as he made his way to the door.

"Wait, just one moment." She slowly said to him. Looking up into his face, she still couldn't really make out from under his hood; she asked "What's your name?"

The man paused for a moment; he looked down the steps to Caroline, studying her, gauging whether or not to share his name. "My name is Connor".

"Connor." She repeated after him nodding her head. Now at least I know his name, that's a start. "My name's Caroline" she said back to him, and with that he walked through the doorway and into the store.

Caroline turned around and sat down on the steps of the store to wait for Connor. She didn't know what to make of the man. 'Why does he want the letter, where is he leading me, why am I even following him? She thought as she fidgeted with a loose thread on her dress. The man was mysterious and confident. She could tell just by the way he held himself and by the way he walked. He walked with complete determination yet he was graceful, if you could call a man that. He had a confident air about him. Though he didn't seem arrogant, from what she could tell.

Caroline took the letter out from her pocket. Looking down at the piece of paper in her hands, taking a deep breath, she unfolded the letter to read it properly. She only had a chance to glance at it before, when she was at the Southgate fort. Caroline reads over the names that were listed there. There was only one name she recognized, only one name that meant anything to her. Joseph Hale, Her father. A feeling of satisfaction has settled over her, now she was one step closer fulfilling her promise to her mother; she folded the letter and put it back in her pocket.

Caroline glanced around at the people, horses pulling carriages and soldiers walking by, she looked down the road lined with tall buildings. There were storefronts for the newspaper and a tailor, she saw a crowd gathered outside a tavern. She saw a group kids running by with a dog not far behind them. She smiled as an old man yelled out telling the kids to watch where they were going.

Caroline has lived in Boston her whole life and never grew tired of the hustle and bustle of the city. She loved that there was always something going on. She glanced to her left, there was a man and a woman arguing over the price of walnuts she looked to her right there was a soldier holding a poster asking people if they have seen the man whose picture was printed on it. The soldier came up to Caroline and asked if she has seen the man. She glanced up at the poster and froze. Because on the poster was Connor, wanted dead or alive.

"I have not seen the man." She replied to the soldier in a trembling voice. The soldier nodded and went to ask someone else. Caroline stood up from the step where she was sitting and entered the store. She spotted Connor talking to the clerk at the front desk. She quickly walked up to him

"Connor, I need to ask you something." She insisted, eyeing the clerk. Connor turned towards her and nodded. "Over here if you would." She said pointing to the far end of the store. They walked over to the back of the store. She hoped the clerk wouldn't hear them.

"Connor, are you a wanted man?" She asked quietly with her hands on her hips.

"Why would you ask such a thing?" He asked as he adjusted the strap across his chest, avoiding eye contact with her.

"I was just shown a wanted poster with your face on it. Well, I couldn't see the face, but the man in the picture was wearing a hood that matched yours"

Connor's eyes met hers for a second before he walked over to the clerk said a few words to him and handed the clerk a few coins. Connor picked up a few small items that were on the counter and walked back to Caroline.

"Follow me." He said with some urgency to Caroline as he guided her to the back door of the store. Connor opened the door and motioned for Caroline to follow him and pointed to what looked to be cellar doors along the back side of the building. He led her over to the doors on the ground and started to pick the lock. Caroline watched in surprise as he opened up the doors and held out his hand for her, to help her climb into the darkness.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she gave the dark passageway a questioning look.

"This." He pointed into the dark. "Leads to a tunnel that runs under most of Boston, with this we can get far enough away that we can slip past the soldiers with the wanted posters. We just need to follow the tunnel for a mile or so, and we will be able to get back on the main road."

Caroline shook her head and grabbed his hand as she climbed down into the dark tunnel. 'I can't believe I'm doing this.' She thought to herself as she watched Connor climb down next to her and close the doors and cut out the light from the sun above them.


	3. Chapter 3

Caroline's eyes slowly started to adjust to the darkness of the tunnel, she looked around; she could barely make out the stone and brick walls and damp dirt floor around them. She put her hand over her nose, the stench of; musty, damp, combined with something decomposing assaulted her nose. She glanced over to Connor, who was taking a lantern down from where it hung on the wall and lit it. The lantern lit up the tunnel with a soft, warm glow, though it did not make the tunnel a more welcoming sight. Cobwebs draped all over the support beams up above her. She peered down to the damp ground and saw rats, which were munching on a dead cat carcass, scatter to get out of the light. She looked back up at Connor with her brows raised, giving him a look of uncertainty.

"Please after you." She gulped, motioning with her hand. Connor led the way, his lantern lighting their surroundings. Caroline could see broken crates and empty rum bottles scattered across the ground. She was starting to second-guess herself; she felt a small pang of fear as they walked. _I think I have made a mistake, following a complete stranger into a deep dark tunnel, that I had no idea even existed, definitely a mistake. _On the other hand, she was dying to know why he sought after the letter. Maybe he knew something about her father. She needed to find out what he knew.

"How did you know these tunnels were here?" She inquired as they turned a corner and made their way down a different passageway, the rancid stench dissipating slightly.

"During the war these tunnels were used to transport supplies and weapons to the colonists, without notice of the British army. But now." He paused, bringing the lantern around to see the debris strewn everywhere. "It seems to be a popular place to discard empty bottles in between taverns. But to answer your question, I was shown these tunnels, many years ago; I would use them quite frequently."

"To escape from soldiers? Do have run-ins with soldiers often?" She asked with slight hesitation. _Why was he on the run? What did he do to become a wanted man?_

Connor did not answer. She couldn't tell if he was ignoring her question on purpose or not. Caroline eyed Connor suspiciously, as he walked in front of her, wondering if following him would lead to the answers, she was looking for. Because, being caught and thrown into jail, would not help her find her father. She had an important task to complete. Caroline began to form a plan of her own, first learning why he need the letter and then separating from Connor and being on her way when they exited from the tunnels. She didn't want anyone slowing her down and complicating her task at hand.

They continued to walk down the dark passageways and reached a section of the tunnel that had been flooded from the recent rain. The water only seemed to be a few inches deep at most. The water did not slow Connor down; he trudged through it without pause. Caroline eyed the water apprehensively, but only for a moment. She lifted her skirt and followed Connor through the water and around the corner.

Connor and Caroline made their way further into the maze of tunnels in silence, they past a stairway that led up to the surface. Caroline could hear the noise of what must be a tavern above them, she could hear loud voices of people talking, arguing and glasses clinking. Small bits of dirt and rock fell down around them. Connor stops abruptly at an intersection, raising his left hand signaling to Caroline to stop behind him.

"Stay here." Connor tells her and sets down the lantern on an empty crate.

"Wait, where are you going?" Caroline barks out in surprise as Connor took off down a dark passageway. Caroline huffs slightly irritated at his curt departure as stares into the dark. She leans to hear any noise that might tell her what Connor was doing, but did not hear anything except the muffled noises from above her.

Caroline gives up on figuring out what Connor was doing and takes a closer look at her surroundings. She glances up at the grimy bricks and stone making up the walls of the tunnel. There are more broken crates and trash thrown about. Caroline notices something on the ground before her in the middle of the intersection. Lifting the lantern from the crate, she kneeled down to get a closer look at it. Caroline leaned in closer to see what looked to be a metal plate on the ground, mostly covered in dirt and mud. Setting the lantern next to her on the ground, she began to brush off the dirt with her hands. After a few minutes, the metal plate was clear of dirt. Caroline stared down on the odd markings; she had seen the symbol before._ Freemasons_.

"Well, that's odd." She muttered to herself, standing up. "What is it?"

"What's odd?" Connor asks as he walks back into the glow of the lantern.

Caroline spins around clutching a hand to her heart, she sees Connor walking up to her.

"Connor you frightened me half to death!" She shouted at him. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest. "My heart just about leaped from my chest, please don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I'm sorry." He said with a hint of a smile playing along his lips as he put his tomahawk back in its place on his belt. "It's an old habit; tell me what you found that was so odd"

"Just let my heart clam down a moment." Once her heart returned to its normal pace Caroline pointed to the metal plate on the ground. "Here, I found this and I don't know what it is. I recognize the symbol on it though."

Connor glances to where Caroline is pointing.

"It was mostly covered in dirt, but I wiped it clean, and it almost appears to be a compass of sorts."

"It is a compass, of sorts." Connor responded.

"What do you mean, it can't possibly be."

"Here, let me show you." He said reaching for the lantern Caroline held.

Caroline handed him the lantern, curious as to what he was about to show her. She watched as Connor poured some of the oil from the lantern into the groves on the metal plate.

"What will that...?" She stopped when she saw Connor light the oil and watched it spread and light up the compass engraved in the metal. Caroline was amazed. She tore her gaze away from the flames and beamed up at Connor.

"How… what?" She stuttered her mouth hung open in surprise.

"It points in the direction of the nearest exit." Connor answered her confused mumblings. "The freemasons put a number of these," He pointed to the plate on the ground. "Throughout, so they could find their way through the network of tunnels, however, after the war ended these tunnels slowly faded from memory, only to be used by the few who still know they're here."

"That's amazing, so we need to travel in that direction?" Caroline gestured in the direction that the flames pointed.

Connor nodded his head as he lifted the lantern to light their way. "We need to keep moving, the sun, it's starting to set, and we don't want to be down here when it does."

"What happens when the sun sets?" She asked, wondering what difference the sun made when the tunnels were pitch dark anyway.

"The rats come out, and in greater numbers"

Caroline's eyes go wide. "Then we better get a move on." She said quickly and falls in line behind Connor yet again.

They continue on their way once more, Caroline notices, as they start walking down a new passageway, that this one looks just the same as the one before, dirty and damp, rubbish tossed everywhere. She had to watch her step to keep from stumbling over broken crates and other debris.

"Where does this tunnel open up to?" She asked when she could no longer stand the silence.

"It actually opens up into a church." He answered with a short chuckle.

"Really? Well, I guess it's a good thing it's not Sunday." She commented with a laugh.

"I've actually come up through it on a Sunday, during a church service I just about frightened an old woman half to death, lucky the opening to the tunnel is at the back of the church, and she was the only one sitting in that row" he said as they came to another intersection.

Connor stopped and turned his head as if he was trying to listen for something. A moment later, he motioned for her to follow.

"What was that about?" Caroline questioned curiously.

"I was making sure no one is following us, we're nearly there." He explained and started walking down the passageway again. They walked in silence again for a little ways; Caroline started thinking about all the questions she had that still need answering. She needed to know what he was up to and if he knew anything about her father.

"Connor, can I ask you something?" She asked slowly. Not knowing how he would respond.

Connor did not answer. She took the opportunity to ask the questions that have been weighing on her mind.

"Why did you save me?" She paused for him to answer, but he did not

"Why didn't you just let me die and take the letter then? In addition, why is this letter so important? Why were you following me in the first place? And where are you leading me?" She just realized she had no idea where he was leading her and she knew nothing about this man was besides his name.

Connor stopped to let out a sigh; he turned and took a step towards Caroline. "Which question would you like me to answer first?"

She looked up at Connors face, hidden in a shadow under his hood, but she could see a faint smile flutter across his lips.

"Oh, um…" Caroline stammered with her words, her mind going blank at his proximity to her. "Um… why is this letter so important?" She asked as she took the letter out from her pocket and held it up.

Connors eyes fell on the letter in her hand, his smile fading completely.

"The subject of that letter is very important." He said, pointing at the letter in her hand. "It has a list of names of men who are sympathetic to the crown, loyalist, still even after the war. They are meeting at Fort Hill in a month's time." He tore his gaze from the letter back to Caroline. "And that meeting must never take place."

She blinked up at him. Processing what he just told her.

"But the British lost the war. We defeated them. They have no power here. Why would there be anyone sympathetic to the king's cause?" She said back to him a little confused.

"There are some loyalists that still wish to take over and reclaim this land for the crown and they won't stop unless forced." Connor explained to her as he turned back and started walking again.

Caroline walked behind him thinking about what he just said.

"And you will be the one to 'force' them?" She asked a few moments later.

"I will do my best to keep the loyalists from reopening the wound that the war inflicted upon the colonies, by any means necessary" Connor replied with a stiff tone.

"By whatever means necessary?" She gulped, thinking about her father, whose name was among those in the letter. "Do you plan to kill them?"

Connor did not answer; he just kept walking down the passageway. Caroline didn't know what to think, Connor had just implied that he was going to kill the men whose names were written in the letter she now held. She needed to come up with a plan, a plan to get to the fort and to her father first, before Connor.

After what seemed like hours, they finally approached a stairway they led up out of the tunnel. Connor set the down lantern at the top of the stairs and started to pick the lock. After a few moments, Connor opened the lock that was on the door. As he swung the doors open, he looked back Caroline.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked as he reached out for Caroline's hand, to help her up the stairs.

"Um…y…yes of course." She stuttered as he grasped Connors hand.

"Why did you steal the letter?"

Caroline tried to think of an answer that would not give away what she had planned. She thought up a careful answer as quickly as she could in the short moment she had.

"I'm trying to find my father."


	4. Chapter 4

Connor closed the doors after he helped Caroline climb out of the tunnel. She stood up and brushed some dirt from her dress. The last of sunlight lit up the church just enough that Caroline could look around at the stained glass windows and the beautifully sewn tapestries.

Connor walked up and stood beside Caroline, clasping his hand together in front of him.

"What happened to your father?" He quietly asked her.

Caroline's heart started beating quickly; she had to come up with an answer that would satisfy Connors question. She could not let on that her father's name was among the names on the letter. Among the people Connor said, he was going to kill. She had to get to him before Connor. Caroline remembered something she heard when she was a child._ The best lies have a thread of truth running through them_.

"He was taken from our home or at least that's what I think happened." She lied, "I don't know where he is at but I've been searching for him for a long time. The letter is the closest I've been to finding him." She said, and that was the truth.

_Little lies with a little bit of truth._

"What makes you think that letter will help you find your father." Connor asked.

Caroline sighed and thought up an answer as fast as she could.

"I recognized a name on the list. An old friend of my fathers, Joseph, they had a falling out when the war started. And he was at our home the night of father disappeared."

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves Caroline continued. "I believe Joseph is at Fort Hill or will be in a few weeks and that is where my father will be, against his will or not. But I believe him to be there none the less"

"How long have you been searching for him" Connor asked, taking a sideways glance at her as if he was gauging the sincerity of her story.

"Over a year now, maybe a year and a half, to be honest, it feels like forever." She said with a sigh. That was not a lie.

"What about your mother? Has she been searching for him as well?"

Caroline did not respond right away. Thinking of her mother made her heart ache. She missed her so much. Caroline looked down at the stone floor, trying to hide the sadness in her voice she replied.

"She passed away." Caroline said through clinched teeth. The sting of her mother's death still hurt, whenever she thought about her dear mother, she did not think her heart would ever heal.

Connor hesitantly put his hand on her shoulder for a short second, before removing it.

"I am sorry."

"Thank you." She replied, pushing back the sadness that threatened to spill over. "Shouldn't we on our way?" She pointed towards the door at the front of the church, in hopes to change the subject before he could start asking questions she did not want to answer.

"You're right, we should keep moving"

Connor walked silently over to the doors of the church and began to open them slowly, the door groaned loudly as it swung open. Connor looked up and down the empty street before he turned back to Caroline, who was right behind him.

"The streets are clear; it's safe to head out." They exited the church and headed down the empty street.

They walked in the shadows of the buildings in silence as the sun slipped behind the horizon, casting the street on to semi darkens. Torched and lanterns lined the street, and a few people walked by them, paying them no attention. Caroline glanced up to Connor walking beside her, his face still mostly hidden under the hood. However, from what she could see, he looked to be in deep thought.

After what seemed like forever, Connor broke the silence.

"Once we get far enough into the forest we can set up camp for the night and in the morning we will travel to my home, and from there we will come up with a plan to rescue your father from Fort Hill." Connor informed her as they continued to make their way towards the edge of town.

"Wait, we? WE go to Fort Hill?" She stammered, caught off guard by his unexpected offer, Caroline wasn't keeping pace with Connor and he walked out in front of her.

_No, no, this is not part of the plan._

"Isn't that where you believe your father is being held?"

"Well, yes, I believe so, but…" Caroline stumbled.

Connor stopped abruptly and turned around. Caroline wasn't looking where she was going and walked right into Connor. Connor grabbed her shoulders and held her at arm's length.

"But…? I thought you wanted to find your father?" He said, looking down at her eyeing her suspiciously.

"I… I do, but I thought I would be searching for him on my own." She muttered in a small voice.

Connor paused for a moment, as if he was trying to find the right thing to say.

"We have the same destination, we know that this Joseph fellow will be at Fort Hill at the end of November, according to the letter you have, and most likely with your father. I can help you. Reunite you with your father."

"You would offer to help a complete stranger?" Caroline paused, staring up at Connor, whose hands were still holding her shoulders. "I have no way of returning the favor." She said cautiously.

"Again, we have the same destination and it would be wise if we traveled together and there's no need to return any favor."

Caroline thought for a moment. _If I follow Connor, I will certainly find my father. Because this man unknowingly intends to kill him, but if I go out on my own, I might never find my father, I do not know where Fort Hill is or how long it will take to get there. He is my only real option for successfully finding my father._

Caroline continued to stare at Connor, who offered to help her find her father, without asking for anything in return. His kindness surprised her. She was surprised that he would even care enough to help a girl find her father, when he had his own mission to complete. Caroline certainly had a greater chance of finding her father and fulfilling her promise to her mother with Connor, than on her own. So, what options did she have?

After weighing her options, she decided to be grateful for his kindness. It was a rare thing to come across in Boston, especially after the war, food was scarce and people had to fend for themselves.

"Thank you Connor." She said, smiling up at him._ He will lead me right to my father._

Connor let go of her shoulders "Then let's be on our way." Turning around, he led the way down the street heading to the edge of the woods. Following a path, they made their way deep into the forest.

The sun had fully set by this time and they were walking in almost complete darkness, the only light coming from the moon shining down through the trees. Connor and Caroline kept on walking for what felt like miles, her feet had started to ache from the non-stop walking. Connor led her up a path that veered to the left off the main path they have been following. They came to a small clearing next to a stream.

"We will camp here for the night." Connor said, looking at the forest around him. "I will go and find some wood and start a small fire, I will return shortly." He explained to her and walked off into the forest, disappearing almost immediately.

Caroline looked in the direction he left in trying to spot him, but she could not find him, he vanished into the forest. She listened for any noise he might make but she only heard the soft trickling of the stream near her.

She sighed and made her way to the stream, which was not easy to do in almost complete darkness. Caroline was thankful that it was a clear night and that the moon shone brightly down on her. Even though the moon was bright, she still tripped and stumbled over a few rocks and roots sticking out of the ground as she made her way to the stream.

Caroline washed her hands and face in the stream, she smiled as she washed the dirt from her face; it felt so good to be somewhat clean again. She knew her dress was filthy from the traveling; she has done the past few days. Nevertheless, she had a clean face and hands. Now if only she had a clean dress and was able to wash her hair. She laughed to herself, _now that is wishful thinking_. She dried her face on the underside of her dress and walked back to where Connor said they would camp for the night. She sat down on the dirt to wait for Connors return.

Caroline wrapped her arms around her legs as she pulled her knees to her chest and rested the side of her head on her knees. She yawned and closed her eyes, thinking that she would just rest for a few minutes until Connor came back with some firewood.

Her eyes fluttered open to find herself covered with Connor's coat and a small fire burning a few feet in front of her. She sat up from where she was laying. _Wait laying I thought I was sitting up. _She looked down and saw she was laying on a blanket.

Blinking, she looked around for Connor. She spotted him sitting cross-legged a few feet away from her with the fire between them. He was sharpening his tomahawk with a small stone. He looked up at her when she sat up. She was finally able to see his face clearly without his hood covering his face. She looked at his face; she was surprised at how young he looked. He had half of his dark hair pulled back into a short ponytail at the back of his head. He seemed to be only a few years older than she was. _He has a very handsome face. _Caroline found it hard to tear her eyes away from him.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked him, rubbing her eyes only to keep herself from staring at him.

"Only about an hour." He answered as he put down his tomahawk. "I have some food here if you're hungry." HHHe said, pointing to some cooked meat laid out on a round rock next to the fire

. "Thank you." She said to Connor as she grabbed a piece, ate it, and then got another piece.

"Have as much as you want." Connor said as he watched her reach for yet another piece of meat. "I was able to catch two large rabbits while I was out gathering firewood." He motioned to a large dead rabbit lying on the ground next to him. "So help yourself."

"Thank you, I didn't realize how hungry I was, I haven't eaten since yesterday morning."

Caroline sat and ate while she thought about all that had happened in the past day.

Yesterday morning she found herself sentenced to death for trespassing into a military fort, saved by a complete stranger, and now she was in the forest with a man she knew next to nothing about.

At least she was alive. She was now closer to finding her father than she thought possible.

A breeze began to blow and she wrapped the coat around her, but realized Connor had on a thin undershirt.

"Here." She said she shrugged off his coat and began to hand it back to him.

"No you keep it for tonight." He said to her, picked up his tomahawk, and returned to sharpening it. "Autumn is here, but the summer's warmth is still in the air, for now, I will be fine without it." He said without taking his eyes off his work.

"Thank you again." She said to him putting the coat back over her shoulders.

As she sat there looking at Connor, she had this feeling that she knew the man, not really knew him but knew of him.

"I think I know who you are." Caroline blurted out before she could stop herself.

Connor lifted an eyebrow at her, not saying anything.

"You're an assassin aren't you?" She asked, but already knew the answer.

Caroline leaned forward and waited for Connor to answer her. Connor sat still for a few moments just watching Caroline.

"Why would you think that?" Connor asked when he finally spoke.

"When the soldier, showed me that wanted poster, while we were in town, I remembered that I've seen it before, years ago, when I was young." She paused to gauge his reaction, and then continued. "And I've heard stories, whispers mostly, about an assassin who was a hero in battle. Who fought for those who aren't free to fight for themselves, single handedly winning many victories for the colonies."

"What else have you heard?"

"I've heard that he was a highly trained killer, using stealth to sneak up on his enemies. Killing in unconventional ways with weapons other than a pistol and sword. I heard that the British army greatly feared this assassin."

"And why would you think that I am this assassin?" He asked.

"When you saved me this afternoon, you killed the soldiers like it was nothing, and there were three of them. The way you disappear in the crowds like smoke from the end of a pipe, one moment there, then gone the next. I had my suspicions, but when I saw the wanted poster, my suspicions were confirmed. I know that it is you."

"And are you afraid to be in the company of an assassin?" He stared at her intently.

Caroline gulped and replied. "I think if you wanted me dead, you would have let the soldiers kill me."

Connor nodded and went back to work on his tomahawk.

She sat back and watched him work on his tomahawk. She noticed the leather that wrapped up the hilt, worn from years of use. Right above the leather handle was a feather that hung on a thin leather strap. Caroline wondered about the significance of the feathers.

Her curiosity got the better of her. "What do the feathers mean, the feather on your tomahawk and the ones one your coat." She asked as she reached for the arm of the coat and felt the soft feathers between her fingers. She removed the coat from her shoulders and held it in her arms. Taking a closer look at the armbands and the feathers attached to them.

Connor looked down at his tomahawk with a far off expression. "I used to collect them when I was a young child. Back in my village, the clan mother would send the children out to collect feathers. It was something I took great pride in; I carry these feathers with me wherever I go as a memory of my village and of my people."

"Where is your village?" She asked with growing interest.

"My village is about twenty miles northeast from here." He said she he set his tomahawk down and stretched out his legs in front of him.

"Is that where we're going, to your village?" She asked.

"No, the village was abandoned a few years ago. My people moved up north." He said, trying to mask the sadness in his voice, but Caroline noticed.

"How far is Fort Hill from here?" Caroline asked, not wanting to pry, she changed the subject.

Connor looked up, giving Caroline an expression that showed he was grateful for the change in topic.

"It's about a full day's journey from my home. And we're just under a day's walk from there."

"You have a home?" Caroline asked before she could stop herself. Once the words pasted her lips, she wanted to hide her face in humiliation.

He raised his brows at her.

"I mean not that wouldn't have a home I just…. I mean..." She let out a breath. "It must be nice; to have a place you call home with a family and friends." Caroline could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Connor nodded. "It is nice to have a home and friends to share it with, but I have no family at least not by blood, not any more"

Caroline tried to fight off an impending yawn, but she was not able to stop it from happening. She wanted to continue talking with Connor, she found him very interesting and she wanted to know more about the assassin. However, she could not deny the fact she was exhausted from the traveling she had done that day.

"Go to sleep, I will wake you when it's time to leave." Connor said softly.

Caroline nodded as she yawned again. She repositioned herself back down on the blanket, pulling the coat tightly around her she fell fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun began to peek above the surrounding hills and lighting up the woods. The birds were chirping and the forest started to come alive around them, with critters running about up and down the trees and the stream running with a soft bubbling sound.

Connor lit a small fire and cooked the rabbit he caught from the night before. After he divided the meat, he went to wake Caroline. He walked around the fire over to where she was laying.

Crouching down next to her Connor hesitated to wake her. Caroline looked so peaceful while she was asleep. A few strands of hair had become loose from her braid and now lay across her face. With a sigh, Connor gently shook Caroline's shoulder.

"We need to be on our way soon."

Caroline slowly sat up, her back was stiff from sleeping on the hard ground, rubbing her hand on her face and yawned.

"I have some more food here, if you're hungry." Connor mentioned as he pushed some of the cooked rabbit towards her.

"Thank you." Caroline yawned, stretching her back.

While it took Caroline a few moments to fully wake, Connor puts out the fire. Caroline reached out and grabbed a piece rabbit meat. She ate it slowly as she watched Connor remove the rocks that he used around the fire and put them back in the stream. He spread the ashes round and mixed them into the dirt. Besides the blanket she was sitting on everything looked like it did before they camped there.

Caroline stood up, from where she was sitting, shrugged off Connors coat and handed it back to him, the scent of pine and smoke from the fire lingered on her dress.

"Here, Connor. Thank you again, for letting me use your coat." Caroline said with a smile as she handed back his coat. "You weren't cold were you?"

"No, the fire kept me warm enough last night." He answered as he put his arms into the coat and started to button it. After he fastened the leather belt that held the quiver of arrows, they started on their way.

* * *

"So, what kind of place does an assassin, call home?" Caroline inquired, breaking the silence.

They had been walking for a few hours and Caroline could not stand the silence any longer. She was content with looking around; the forest was thick with green towering trees, large rocks and rolling green hills. She didn't often see sights like this, growing up in Boston. The forest kept her occupied while they walked, until the silence became unbearable.

Caroline waited for Connor to respond. As she was getting ready to ask again, Connor spoke up.

"I live in a home, just like any other person. What kind of place did you think I live in?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe some secret assassin hideout of some sort?" Caroline muttered shrugging her shoulders.

Connor let out a dry laugh, but didn't say anything else.

Taking it as a sign that Connor didn't want to share about his assassin background, Caroline decided not to push him, and changed the topic.

"I don't think I've seen anything more beautiful." She beamed, looking around her. "I've spent most my life in Boston, I rarely spent time away from the city. It's absolutely breathtaking" She took in a deep breath of fresh sir to replenish her lungs.

Connor glanced down at Caroline while they walked; he smiled, as she took in her surroundings, fascinated with the passing greenery.

The sun was high in the sky and they were still walking. Connor stopped, giving Caroline a chance to rest. She never complained about the fast pace they were keeping, but Connor knew it was wearing on her. After catching her breath, they once more continued on their way. Caroline asked Connor a few questions about where they were heading. She was curious and wanted to know what to expect.

"It's not quite a town, though it has grown substantially since I first came to live there, but it's more of a homestead, and yes, there are many people who live there. Each one is a dear friend…" Connor trailed off, something moving in the forest caught his eye.

Connor came to a sudden stop and motioned for Caroline to stop as well. Caroline stopped and looked in the direction Connor was staring. He turned to her and put a finger to his lips telling her to be quiet. Then he pointed in the direction he looked before.

"There, do you see them?" He whispered. Caroline barely caught what he said.

"What are you pointing at?" She whispered back at him. She walked to stand beside Connor and looked in the direction he was pointing.

"Two deer; they just walked behind that boulder about a hundred yards away. Follow me and be quiet." He said as he walked towards the deer. Caroline followed him as he came to a large tree that hid them from the deer.

"Stay here." Connor turned around to face Caroline; he was standing so close to her Caroline had to bend her neck back, affected my his close proximity all she could do was nod her compliance.

Connor turned from her, grabbed onto a low hanging branch, and hoisted himself up into the tree.

Caroline watched Connor effortlessly climbed higher up the tree. In just seconds, he was about twenty feet above her. Connor walked out on a sturdy branch, keeping his eye on the deer that were still in the same spot eating grass. Caroline gasped as she watched Connor jump from the branch to another tree and then from that tree to another. She could not believe how graceful he was as he jumped from tree to tree. He barely made any noise as he did so. She watched in awe as he made his way over to the deer without them noticing him. She couldn't tear her eyes away as Connor took his bow from his back and an arrow from his quiver and took aim at the large buck under him. With expert accuracy, he shot his arrow at the deer. Before Caroline had time to realize what happened Connor was down from the tree and standing over his kill. She watched him take the arrow out from the deer's side and put it back in his quiver. Then he picked up the dead buck, slung it over his shoulder, and started back towards Caroline.

Caroline was shaking her head and smirking, as Connor when he walked up to her.

"What?" He asked, confused my her expression .

"That was very impressive; I've never seen anyone hunt like that before. It was exciting to watch." She answered his as she looked at the deer he had over his shoulder.

"How did you learn to climb trees like that with such speed and without a sound?"

"I grew up in the woods, learned to hunt and climb trees at a young age. It's an old habit I guess."

"Well it's an extraordinary talent to have I would assume. Being able to climb trees they way you do."

Connor did not have time to answer before Caroline started rambling again.

"He's quite a large one isn't he?" Caroline asked, pointing to the deer. "He has what, ten points on him?" She began to count the points on its antlers.

"Yes, he will make some decent meals for the next couple days. He answered Caroline "We are close to the homestead; we will be there before sunset since we've kept up a good pace." Caroline nodded and they started on their way yet again.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Caroline became more nervous with each step she took. She pushed away the creeping sense of doubt that began to invade her mind. _Toughen up Caroline, _Caroline thought to herself_. I need to keep my wits about me. I cannot let Connor distract me; I am here on a mission, nothing else. _Caroline took in a deep breath, trying to calm her was quite nervous about staying at Connors home, the more she learned about him the more questions she had. She made up her mind to have all her questions answered by the time they leave for Fort Hill.

As they neared the homestead, Caroline noticed that Connor had pulled back the hood he was wearing, and that he seemed to be more relaxed. His pace was not so urgent; he wasn't constantly scanning the forest, looking for hidden enemies. The muscles in his back and shoulders seemed to relax the closer they got to his home.

Through the trees, Caroline could see a house, it was a large two-story brick house surrounded with trees, and there were stone steps that led up to a large front door. There were white shutters on the windows and from what she could see, at least four chimneys poking out from the roof.

"Is that your home?" She asked in awe as they neared the house.

"This is the Davenport Manor, and it has been my home for many years."

"It's beautiful." She said to Connor as she followed him up the steps to the door.

"Thank you." Connor replied, he opened the front door wide and motioned for Caroline to enter.

The front door led into a foyer. Straight ahead was a staircase that led to the second floor. To the left of the stairway, the hallway continued through the house. As they walked down the hallway, Caroline peered into the rooms as they passed. The first room on the left looked to be a library of sorts. The room had many bookshelves full of books and plenty of places to sit. The curtains were drawn shut, but Caroline could imagine the room filled with sunshine and herself curled up on the sofa with a good book.

The next room on the left was the dinning room, the table and chairs had a thick layer of dust covering them, and it appeared that no one has used this room in many years, unlike the library, which looked like it was used often. The curtains were drawn closed in this room as well. The combination of the room being dark and unused gave the room an eerie feel.

"When I first came here, the place was falling apart; my mentor, Achilles had me do the repairs to bring it back to a habitable state." Connor explained, entering the kitchen across from the dinning room.

The kitchen was a large open room, with a fireplace in the far wall. A large wooden table stood in the middle of the room, there was a good-sized pantry in the corner. The kitchen was stocked with an assortment of pots and pans, herbs were hung out to dry, and a large stack of firewood was stacked in the corner near the fireplace.

Connor laid the deer onto the table in the middle of the kitchen. He turned to see Caroline, who looked at be enthralled with the room. Connor watched her as she slowly walked around the kitchen taking in her surroundings. Connor waited until Caroline she finished her inspection of the kitchen.

Caroline smiled, slightly embarrassed, when she noticed Connor staring at her. She wrung her hands together and she walked back over to where Connor stood.

"You have a beautiful home Connor." Caroline stated, taking one last glance around the kitchen

"I can show you what room you can use, if you'd like?" He offered with just a hint of a smile. Caroline nodded and Connor walked through the kitchen door and turned left back down the entryway. Caroline followed as Connor led her up the stairs and into a small bedroom at the top of the stairs. He opened the door and let her walk in before him.

"I'm sorry for what a mess this room is in. This room belonged to Achilles' wife Abigail before she passed away and it hasn't been used in many years. I believe there are still a few dresses in the dresser over there." He explained to Caroline. He walked over to the curtains and pulled them back and the evening sunlight shone in and brightened up the room.

"It is perfect." She said, looking around the room, bits of dust floated about through the sunshine streaming in through the window. "It's just a little dust. Nothing I can't handle"

She turned to face Connor, who was taking off the white sheets that lay over the furniture in the room. "Thank you Connor." Caroline walked over to Connor, placing a hand over Connors. "I really mean it. Thank you, for everything."

The sight of Caroline's small hand covering his own brought a slight blush to his cheeks. Connor turned away before Caroline could see the shade of red his cheeks turned.

Connor stood fidgeting with the last sheet that was covering a large chair near the fireplace.

"Just make yourself at home." He folded the sheets and put them under his arm he walked to the door. "You must be tired from our travels, I'll let you rest. If you need anything I will be outside preparing the deer." With that, Connor left her alone in the room.

Caroline took in a deep breath as she looked around the room with a smile; she has never had her own room before. Her smile grew wider when her eyes fell onto the large bed in the corner.

Caroline ran over to the bed, running her hands over the soft yellow quilt. Growing up, Caroline has a quilt that was the same soft yellow. Her mother had made it, and given it to her on her tenth birthday. She could not help a yawn that interrupted her happy memory, Caroline climbed up onto the bed and lay down and within minutes, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Caroline woke the next morning, to her room dimly lit with the morning dawn. Even though it was still early Caroline, felt well rested. Yawning, she stretched her arms above her head; she looked down and chuckled to herself when she saw that she still wore her dress and boots. Caroline sat up and looked around at the room again. It was small but cozy, the bed that took up most of the room. The light green paint on the walls gave a cheery feel to the room. A fireplace was against the far wall, with windows on either side; a large wooden dresser was in the corner across from the bed and in front of the fireplace sat a large cushioned chair.

As Caroline stood up from the bed, she spotted something that made her smile from ear to ear.

"A bathtub!" She said with a squeal, clapping her hands together.

Caroline moved the tub in place in front fireplace. She looked around for some firewood, so she could start a fire, but did not find any in her room. Then she remembered seeing a large stack of wood in the kitchen. After brining, a hand full of logs from the kitchen Caroline set them into the fireplace. The fireplace looked like it had not been used in a very long time, but she couldn't find a reason not to use it. It took her a few tries, but she finally got the fire started. She stood back to watch the fire consume the logs and heat up the room.

She went back down to the kitchen and started a small fire in the fireplace, grabbing a large bucket Caroline went outside to find water well.

As she waited for the water to heat up, Caroline decided to explore the downstairs; she walked into the library, it was full of all sorts of books and interesting trinkets. After studying a few portraits on the walls, she came across several maps of Boston and New York. After taking a closer look, she saw many locations on the map that were circled and a few were crossed out. She let her curiosity run wild about the significance of those cretin locations, until something else caught her attention. Caroline walked up to the bookcases and took a closer look at some of the books on the shelves. Some were very old. She tilted her head to the side as she read the titles of the books and walked up and down the rows of bookshelves, taking a book off the shelf and flipped through its pages when one caught her eye.

After what seemed like forever, Caroline heated up enough water to fill the bathtub in her room. Caroline removed her dirty clothes, laid them across the back of a chair, and stepped into the tub.

"This is heaven." She said to herself as she sat down in the warm water and began to wash the layers of dirt from her skin. After washing the dirt from her hair and body, she rested her head against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes. Pictures of the past couple days ran through her mind. Caroline was originally worried that Connor would end up ruining her plans of finding her father. Now, she was glad that she had met him, not only, because he saved her life, but also because he knows where her father is going to be and he was going to lead her there. She was going to have to wait a month before her father will be at Fort Hill. That is something she is willing to do. If it meant that she would, finally, after a year of searching, find her father.

She felt the familiar tingle of nerves as she thought about her father. Caroline did not know how he would react to seeing her, especially after what happened. She dreamed of her reunion with her father many times in her head; but this time it was actually happening. She was doing this for her mother. Caroline did not care if her mother would be disappointed in her for trying to find her father, if her mother was still alive. This was something she had to do. She made up her mind the night her mother was killed. There was no turning back now. With Connor's help, she will find her father, find him and kill him.


End file.
